Meet Andora Hinton | CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andora Hinton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andora, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
One of the things I told myself when I first started this business was that the only reason it would fail would be because of me. Every time a client or a participant shares their success with me because of the work we’ve done together, I often say, “and this is why I do what I do.” Our goal is to make impact with as many people as we possible can. We want people to view the world, themselves, and the people they interact with on a daily basis. as it pertains to communication and collaboration, in a different way. If we give up, we don’t get to do that. Giving up is not an option. It’ our responsibility to keep going and continue partnering with people and organizations who want to see different in their lives.

What should our readers know about your business?
We are a boutique, consulting firm that focuses on working with companies to enhance their leadership and staff’s communication patterns to increase collaborative efforts. Our experience with clients is quite unique. We like for clients to feel as though we are an extension of their organization and not an outside resource. We focus on a rigorous but collaborative process, in the beginning, so we can gain a clearer understanding of the company’s overall needs and how we might be able to best support the organization. This plus the fact that we focus on true, holistic, behavior change where people can focus on change both personally and professionally, is what sets us apart from others.

I am most proud of the team that Willow North has formed over the years. The people on the team challenge me and each other in a way that helps to make us better. I love when people have a different idea than me because, as a learner, that gives me an opportunity to learn and grow in different areas. We have a team who enjoys working together and supports our mission and commitment to support people in their journey of life-long learning.

There are several lessons I have learned along my journey but four certainly stand out.
1) It’s very difficult to grow a business without people, processes, and money.
2) Risk is necessary and if it doesn’t work out, fail quickly, and move on to something that does.
3) Surround yourself with people who will challenge you, love what they do and will tread the waters with you no matter how uncertain it might be.
4) Having a vision and a plan is always a necessity in business.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If someone was visiting me, I would make it a foodie and arts tour.

Here are several places we would go to:

-Pack a lunch and go to the NC Museum of Arts
-Eat dinner at Death & Taxes
-Eat brunch at the Mandolin
-Go to North Hills & have coffee at Jubala Cafe
-Go to Torchy’s for lunch and have Tacos
-Go to Dorothea Dix and enjoy people watching
-Take your kids to Pullen Park and ride the train
-Go to Level 7 and enjoy the rooftop bar for drinks

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
One of the books I’d like to Shout Out is Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Because of his Habit #5, Seek First to Understand, it became a mantra for me in my business and my personal life. We are huge fans of Stephen Covey!

Website: www.willownorth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willownorthgrowthpartners/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andoragandy/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChy6G0i5FzqPxD9ybFgd4Cg